NASCAR Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Toyota/Save Mart 350

Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California going into the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on June 23.

SONOMA-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

Marcos Ambrose (No. 9 Stanley Ford)

· Two top fives, four top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 12.8

· Average Running Position of 10.9, third-best

· Driver Rating of 106.8, third-best

· 49 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.807 mph, second-fastest

· 452 Laps in the Top 15 (81.1%), 11th-most

· 187 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fifth-most

Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota)

· One win, four top fives, five top 10s

· Average finish of 9.7

· Average Running Position of 14.6, eighth-best

· Driver Rating of 93.3, seventh-best

· 476 Green Flag Passes, third-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.333 mph, seventh-fastest

Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row/SealyChevrolet)

· One win, five top fives, five top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 17.0

· Series-best Average Running Position of 9.2

· Series-best Driver Rating of 107.8

· 35 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.684 mph, third-fastest

· 705 Laps in the Top 15 (79.5%), second-most

· 186 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)

· One win, one top five, two top 10s

· Average finish of 18.6

· Driver Rating of 92.8, eighth-best

· 48 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.540 mph, fifth-fastest

· 512 Laps in the Top 15 (57.7%), sixth-most

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)

· One top five, three top 10s

· Average finish of 17.1

· Average Running Position of 16.0, 10th-best

· Driver Rating of 84.9, 10th-best

· 27 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most

· Series-high 515 Green Flag Passes

· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.331 mph, ninth-fastest

· 471 Laps in the Top 15 (53.1%), ninth-most

· 181 Quality Passes, 10th-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)

· Five wins, 12 top fives, 16 top 10s; five poles

· Average finish of 8.6

· Average Running Position of 12.5, fifth-best

· Driver Rating of 101.1, fourth-best

· 56 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

· 439 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.560 mph, fourth-fastest

· 593 Laps in the Top 15 (66.9%), fourth-most

· 206 Quality Passes, second-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Rheem Chevrolet)

· Three top fives, four top 10s

· Average finish of 16.1

· Average Running Position of 15.4, ninth-best

· Driver Rating of 82.2, 13th-best

· 20 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-most

· 455 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most

· 499 Laps in the Top 15 (56.3%), eighth-most

· 153 Quality Passes, 12th-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)

· One win, four top fives, six top 10s

· Average finish of 13.8

· Average Running Position of 12.7, sixth-best

· Driver Rating of 96.6, sixth-best

· 52 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

· 625 Laps in the Top 15 (70.5%), third-most

· 204 Quality Passes, third-most

Jamie McMurray (No. 1 CESSNA Chevrolet)

· One top five, one top 10; one pole

· Average finish of 17.1

· Driver Rating of 84.4, 12th-best

· 441 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.330 mph, 10th-fastest

Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)

· One win, one top five, four top 10s

· Average finish of 13.2

· Average Running Position of 11.8, fourth-best

· Driver Rating of 97.8, fifth-best

· 23 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.332 mph, eighth-fastest

· 509 Laps in the Top 15 (76.3%), seventh-most

· 195 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Ryan Newman (No. 39 Haas Automation 30th Anniversary Chevrolet)

· Two top fives, five top 10s

· Average finish of 12.9

· Average Running Position of 13.6, seventh-best

· Driver Rating of 89.9, ninth-best

· 448 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.375 mph, sixth-fastest

· 571 Laps in the Top 15 (64.4%), fifth-most

· 185 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1/Brass Pro Shops Chevrolet)

· Two wins, five top fives, nine top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 10.9

· Average Running Position of 10.0, second-best

· Driver Rating of 107.5, second-best

· Series-high 79 Fastest Laps Run

· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 89.877 mph

· Series-high 706 Laps in the Top 15 (79.6%)

· Series-high 252 Quality Passes

Chase Contenders

The Top 12

Following Race 15 of 36

Rank Season

Last Driver

Driver

Points

Wins

Poles

Week

Rating

1. Jimmie Johnson

538

3

1

1

114.3

2. Carl Edwards

507

1

1

2

93.2

3. Clint Bowyer

489

0

0

3

93.7

4. Kevin Harvick

476

2

0

5

96.0

5. Matt Kenseth

456

3

2

6

114.6

6. Kyle Busch

452

2

2

7

104.8

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

447

0

0

4

95.2

8. Greg Biffle

443

1

0

10

83.3

9. Brad Keselowski

430

0

0

9

91.4

10. Tony Stewart

417

1

0

13

75.4

11. Paul Menard

415

0

0

12

77.3

12. Kasey Kahne

407

1

0

8

99.4

ADDITIONAL DRIVERS

13. Martin Truex Jr.

405

30. Bobby Labonte

256

14. Joey Logano

405

31. Dave Blaney

245

15. Aric Almirola

404

32. David Reutimann

214

16. Jeff Gordon

398

33. J.J. Yeley

213

17. Jeff Burton

390

34. David Stremme

209

18. Ryan Newman

389

35. Travis Kvapil

178

19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

389

36. AJ Allmendinger

158

20. Kurt Busch

384

37. Michael McDowell

83

21. Jamie McMurray

375

38. Timmy Hill

80

22. Juan Pablo Montoya

361

39. Scott Speed

75

23. Marcos Ambrose

342

40. Michael Waltrip

63

24. Mark Martin

314

41. Terry Labonte

52

25. Casey Mears

305

42. Ken Schrader

39

26. Denny Hamlin

299

43. Scott Riggs

10

27. Danica Patrick

277

44. Brian Keselowski

4

28. David Ragan

265

45. Jason Leffler

1

29. David Gilliland

261

Note: The first 26 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season determine which 12 drivers qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, contested over the final 10 races of the season. After race No. 26, the top 10 earn a berth in the Chase. Spots 11 and 12 – the Wild Cards – will go to those drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided they are in the top 20.

The top-10 drivers will make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Positions 11 and 12 in the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup are Wild Cards, and will go to drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, as long as they are ranked in the top 20 in points. If multiple drivers outside the top 10 tie for wins, the tie-breaker will go to the race winner with the highest points position.

At Sonoma Raceway:

History

· The track opened as a 2.52-mile road course and drag strip in 1968.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 11, 1989 – won by Ricky Rudd at a speed of 76.088 mph.

· The first nine races were 300 kilometers and switched to a 350k format in 1998.

· The track was reconfigured to 1.949 miles in 1998 with the installation of an 890-foot chute between the original Turns 4 and 7.

· The track was reconfigured to 2.0 miles in 2001 and re-measured at 1.99 miles in 2002.

· Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Sonoma in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with six: Jeff Gordon(five) and Jimmie Johnson (one).

· Six different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Sonoma; led by Chevrolet with 10 victories; followed byFord with six.

· Five of the 24 (20.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Jeff Gordon in 2004. Gordon is the only NSCS driver to win from the pole at Sonoma more than once.

· The Coors Light pole position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more wins (five) than any other starting position at Sonoma Raceway.

· Eight of the 24 (33.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma have been won from the front row: five from the pole and three from second place.

· 18 of the 24 (75.0%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma have been won from a top-10 starting position.

· Two of the 24 (8.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Michigan was 32nd, by Juan Pablo Montoya in 2007.

· Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Sonoma with four; followed by Jeff Gordon and TonyStewart with three each.

· Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-five finishes at Sonoma with 12; followed by Ricky Rudd with 10.

· Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-10 finishes at Sonoma with 16; followed by Mark Martin with 13.

· Marcos Ambrose leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Sonoma with a 5.000.

· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Sonoma with an 8.550. Clint Bowyer (9.714) is the only other active driver with an average finish in the top 10.

· All but one of the nine active NASCAR Sprint Cup winners at Sonoma Raceway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Juan Pablo Montoya won at Sonoma in his rookie season and his first appearance at the 1.99-mile track, the fewest previous starts among the active NSCS winners.

· Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin competed at Sonoma Raceway eight times each before visiting Victory in Lane; the longest span of any the nine active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners. Johnson won in 2010 and Martin won in 1997.

· Terry Labonte leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Sonoma without visiting Victory Lane at 21.

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway was the June 27, 1999 race won by Jeff Gordon over Mark Martin with a MOV of 0.197 second.

· There have been three NASCAR Sprint Cup races resulting in a green-white-checkered finish at Sonoma Raceway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): 2008 (110/112); 2009 (110/113) and 2012 (110/112).

· None of the 24 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions.

· Qualifying has never been cancelled in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway.

· Boris Said posted his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Sonoma Raceway (6/22/2003).